More time had passed with the elixir not taking effect, and Link was beginning to fear the worst. Midna could only watch as rocked back and forth, with Zelda still in his arms. She was afraid that there wasn't a thing she could say that would help.

"It's been too long, why isn't she waking up?" Link questioned, desperation laced in his voice.

"I don't know." Midna sighed. "Look, maybe we should get her- you both - back to the castle and get your wounds cleaned up while we wait for her to wake up." She suggested.

"No." Link snapped. "Sorry, I just… I don't want to be anywhere but by her side right now." He sighed.

"I understand." She nodded.

Link held his breath as he put a hand to Zelda's chest, desperate to find a heartbeat. He felt as though his own dropped suddenly as there was no steady rhythm of her heart, not even the slightest beat. Absolutely terrified, he removed his hand and looked to Midna with tearful eyes.

"T- the elixir… It- It didn't work." He stammered.

Midna's heart began to hurt. She had unintentionally given him false hope, and led him to believe that everything would be okay, and now that it wasn't, she felt awful.

"Link, I'm sorry… I didn't think this would happen, I really believed that it would work."

He squinted his eyes shut, causing tears to roll down both his cheeks. "I- I don't understand, why didn't it work?"

"I don't know." Midna bit her lip, watching as Link's own trembled and he clung to Zelda. "Do you want a moment before we get you and the Princess back to Hyrule?"

He nodded, unable to find the words to speak and Midna inhaled deeply as she stepped out of the room. Finally alone, Link didn't care to hide his feelings and gave in; those few tears turning into sobs. After everything they'd been through over the past few days, he had failed her just as he had failed Ilia. Though everyone still referred to him as the Hero, he felt like nothing could be further from the truth. They would not refer to him as such when news broke of his failure.

"I- I'm so sorry. I tried so hard, but even my best was still not good enough." He cried, gritting his teeth. "Grrrgghhh, I did everything I was supposed to do… So, why couldn't I save you?"

Link squinted once more, and slowly his eyes darkened as they drifted from Zelda's face to the Master Sword and back again. His rant could go on, but it did no good, so there was no point. All the words in the world couldn't fix his failure. He sniveled and found himself reaching for the sword despite the voice of reason screaming in his mind. With tired and almost emotionless eyes, he admired the detail of the sword; everything from the blue handle with the Triforce symbol, to the stunning blade that still looked unused despite its many hits. He exhaled sharply, contemplating the damage the sword could do, and if it could cause any to himself. For a brief second, the thought of finding out didn't seem so bad, and he lifted the sword, closing his eyes at the same time.

The exact second that he closed them and aligned the blade with his already wounded chest,a golden light illuminated his face. His eyes shot open, and he dropped the sword to bring his hand up and shield his eyes. Despite the blinding volume of the light, he couldn't help but watch it. Only then did he realize where it had come from; the Triforce symbol on his hand. With it, he noticed that the exact same symbol on Zelda's hand was also glowing, and that the light was flowing from his to hers. He remained silent as he watched it in astonishment, and was left with his mouth agape as it finally faded.

As he stared on in shock, he did not notice Zelda's pale yet rosy colour return to her face, replacing the deathly grey. Her eyes flickered open slowly, and as her vision cleared up, she saw him hovering above her.

"L- Link?"

Upon hearing her voice, he glanced down and his face lit up as he saw her eyes open. A wide smile spread across his face and he exhaled a hefty breath that came out as a hysteric sounding laugh.

"P- Princess? I thought that- I thought-" He stammered, unable to finish.

Zelda frowned, unable to grasp what was happening, but as the memories came flooding back in, she gasped. "Link, it's okay."

"I thought that I had lost you. That I had failed." He finished, his head hanging in shame.

Her mouth opened to speak, but she couldn't find the right words. Instead of attempting to say anything, she pulled herself into a proper sitting position and then threw her arms around him. His eyes widened before closing as he hugged her back, resting his head on her shoulder. It was then that she finally found the words.

"You didn't fail, and I never doubted you for a second."

After a few seconds, Link reluctantly pulled away, but kept his hands on her arms. "Why not?"

"Because even when all hope is lost, you keep myself and the rest of Hyrule hoping." She spoke softly. "You hold the Triforce of Courage for a reason, Link."

Link moved his hand, flexing his fingers and examining the Triforce symbol on the back of his left hand. "I- I guess you're right."

Zelda placed her own hand with the Triforce on top of his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "We should get home now…" She began, pausing as she took in the state of him. "You have many injuries that should be treated as soon as possible."

"I'm okay, I really don't think that's necessary."

The Princess scowled. "You are not fine, Link. You need to look after yourself."

"Really, Zelda… I'm okay."

"I know that you don't like attention, but just do it this one time. Please." She pleaded. "For me."

He sighed. "Alright, but first let's get back to Hyrule." He agreed, watching as she got to her feet.

With difficulty, he got back on his feet and instantly staggered forward, causing Zelda to move quickly to stop him from falling on his face. Placing her hand on his chest, she carefully moved his arm so that it was around her shoulders, insisting on helping him stay steady. They sauntered towards the exit in silence until they regrouped with Midna, who smiled as Zelda appeared along with Link.

"Oh my-" She began, but was cut off quickly.

"It's a long story, I'll try to explain later but for now could you help get us to the mirror?" Zelda questioned. "I'm afraid that without medical attention, his condition may worsen."

Midna bowed her head, "Of course." and grabbed hold of Link from his other side.

Within a few seconds, the three were enveloped in Twili magic before disappearing into green and particles, materializing back at the bottom of the tower, where the mirror portal was still intact. Zelda turned her head to look at Midna, with one question on her mind.

"Sorry to ask, but will you be joining us?"

Caught off guard by the question, Midna pondered the thought for a moment. "I don't think I'll be able to focus on this place until I know that you both are safe and well… Yes, I will join you for a bit."

Zelda smiled. "I appreciate that, actually. I could use the help."

Midna returned the smile, and gestured for Zelda to take Link through first. The Princess shifted her feet, also shifting Link's weight at the same time, then stepped through the portal with him; disappearing instantly. Midna waited a second before following them.

Stepping out on the other side of the portal, Zelda suppressed a gasp at the sight of her garden. It had been a long time since she'd seen such a beautiful sight, and it made her realize just how much she'd missed her home, and her people. Before she could process the thought, Midna stepped out of the portal and glanced around the garden that had maintained its glory despite being used as a construction ground for the mirror.

"Midna, would you mind staying with Link while I go and find Impaz or anyone who can help?" Zelda asked, growing concerned for Link's condition as his head hung heavy against his chest.

"Of course." She agreed.

"Thank you." Zelda nodded, laying Link down gently in the grass and planting a kiss on his cheek. "I'll be back soon, I promise." She whispered in his ear before standing up straight and hurrying out of the garden.

Midna waited until she'd disappeared from sight before propping herself down next to Link and winced as her eyes glided over his injuries. The bleeding had slowed for the majority of them, yet the worst one had not stopped. She glanced up to see his eyes barely open, and knew that she had to do something; if he closed them then he may never wake up.

"Y- you did great out there, Link." She spoke softly, hoping that the sudden sound of her voice would ground him.

She watched as his eyes opened just a tad wider, and he attempted to shift into a sitting position only to scrunch his face up and fall flat onto his back. He made a choking sound, but his eyes remained open.

"We." He wheezed.

"Huh?"

"We did…" He began, breathing heavily. "We did great." Then his face fell as Ilia flashed briefly in his mind. "For the most part."

"I'm sorry, Link. I wish that we could have saved her." Midna expressed as though she had read his thoughts.

Link sighed, his eyes drooping once more. "So tired."

"I know, but don't fall asleep, okay? You can't fall asleep."

A sloppy smile etched its way onto his lips. "I'm okay, the other guy got it worse."

Midna snorted and failed to suppress a laugh at the obvious humour behind his words. She rolled her eyes and gave him a gentle nudge.

"But it wasn't really a fair match, was it?"

"What do you mean by that?" He questioned, forcing himself into a sitting position.

"Well… I- I just mean that Zant didn't really have much of a brain nor brawn." She explained, placing her arm around his shoulders to prevent him from falling again.

Link laughed through his nose, leaning into her as his weight became too heavy. "You've got that right, like was the guy trying to fight me or dance with me?" He chuckled, screwing his face up as the sound irritated his wounds.

"Easy there, tough guy. Let's not excite you too much." She joked. "But, he did look very silly flinging his arms around like spaghetti."

"Worst looking spaghetti I've seen." He added, and they both laughed together.

Meanwhile, Zelda held onto the skirt of her dress as she hurried through the halls, dodging the rubble that covered the ground as she ran. She turned corners and fled through, then up the staircase until she found the one room that she was looking for, and pounded on it with her fist.

"Impaz." She called out. "Impaz!" She called louder when she got no response.

The shuffling of feet on the other side was followed by the door swinging open and Impaz jaw dropping as she saw the Princess standing before her. As she took in the frown on her face, and the pleading in her eyes, she grew concerned.

"My dear, what on earth is all the fuss about?"

"Link is injured, Impaz and I'm afraid that without any treatment, his injuries may worsen."

Impaz made an O shape with her mouth and stepped out of her room, closing the door behind her. "Then we had better go to him right away."

"Thank you! I'll lead the way." Zelda stated, already halfway down the hall.

Impaz followed quickly, catching up with the Princess. As they passed the throne room, Zelda paused and turned to her.

"What happened here?... It just- it looks so broken."

"A lot took place while you were in the Twili Realm." Impaz said gently. "The entire population of Castle Town had their memories wiped; though that seems to have been corrected when the mirror was rebuilt. Though Zant unleashed his beasts onto Link and Midna, and the fight resulted in the mess you see before you."

Zelda's face fell at the thought of all the things that she hadn't been able to protect her people from, but she quickly brushed her feelings aside and continued past the throne room.

"First thing to do once Link is well, is to make preparations for repairs." She thought aloud.

"I'll speak to your father as soon as we get Link in recovery."

Their conversation ceased as they entered Zelda's garden, where Link was now sitting up, leaning against Midna to support his weight. Zelda hurried over, dropping to her knees by Link's other side as Impaz walked calmly over to the three of them to inspect him closely.

"Hmm, yes these wounds are rather deep. Before treatment, we should get him somewhere more comfortable." Impaz concluded. "Ladies, would you be able to move him to the guest room just down the hall?"

Midna and Zelda looked at one another and nodded at each other. "Absolutely." They chimed, and Midna got Link to his feet, allowing Zelda to position herself so that his weight was even between them.

Impaz stepped aside to allow them through, and followed behind as they made their way down the hall and into the guest bedroom that she'd been referring to; laying him down carefully on the bed and removing his boots and hat after getting him settled.

"Now, if you don't mind stepping out for a moment… It's easier to focus without an audience." She said with a small smile.

Zelda looked towards Link, then opened her mouth to speak before Midna cut in. "He'll be okay. The sooner he's treated, the better."

"Yeah, you're right." The Princess shook her head and turned back to Impaz. "You'll let me know as soon as it is done?"

"Of course.' Impaz promised.

Zelda nodded and then joined Midna, who'd already moved towards the exit and the two filtered out of the room, returning to the garden to wait for news. As they sat down together, under the shade of the tree, Zelda smiled at the Twilight Princess.

Upon noticing this, Midna became flustered. "W- what is it?"

"Nothing really…" Zelda bit her tongue. "Thank you." She finally blurted out.

Midna's expression changed and her eyes softened as she took those words to heart. "What for?"

"Everything that you have done; for Link, for Hyrule and even myself. You guided him along the way, and kept him from going off the rails. I truly appreciate it."

"Oh." Midna smiled back. "Y- you're welcome…"

Picking up on the shift of her tone, Zelda cringed. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"

"No. No. Not at all…. I've just never had a friend thank me before, or- or any friends for that matter. You and Link are the closest I've come to finding any, and now that everything is over-" She paused, inhaling a deep breath. "I don't know if I can say goodbye again." She finished, exhaling.

Zelda let this fact sink in; Hyrule was safe. The Twili Realm was safe. Link, herself and everyone else was safe and together. But Midna… Once she returned, she would be safe yet all alone. A wave of guilt washed over her as she thought about everything that she had that Midna didn't.

"Hmm…" She hummed. "Maybe you don't have to."

"But once we know Link is okay, it is what is right…"

"I guess." Zelda muttered. "What if we didn't have to destroy the mirror?" She questioned.

"We have to-"

"Not really. I could seal it here in the garden, and I could use magic to hide it from the human eye."

"Are you sure? I mean, you don't want to ruin your beautiful garden."

Zelda's smile grew. "My garden doesn't mean as much to me as Link and my friends do, and you, Midna, are my friend."

"Well… Only if you're sure."

"I am." Zelda confirmed.

About an hour passed with the two sitting in the garden making conversation until Impaz finally appeared in the entryway. Zelda got up from where she was sitting and walked over to her, expecting her to speak.

"How is he?"

"He is much better. All of his wounds have been seen to and should heal within the next few days. He's currently awake and asking for you… I tried to convince him to rest but he's stubborn and won't rest until he speaks to you."

"I should go and convince him to rest." Zelda nodded.

"Please do. He keeps trying to get out of bed."

With this in mind, Zelda returned quickly to the guest room that they'd carried him too earlier. She reached for the handle before pausing to knock. As soon as she heard him speak, she opened the door and ventured into the room, sitting down on the side of the bed beside his waist.

"Impaz said that you are not resting."

Link chuckled. "I- I wanted to see you first."

"It's not funny! You're a naughty boy. But, since you saved the entire Kingdom again, I'm going to give you five minutes and then I will leave because I want you to rest."

Cutting his laughter out to avoid annoying her further, he frowned as he thought about the question that he wanted to ask her. They hadn't had the chance to speak properly yet, and he didn't want to rest without knowing her answer first.

"Five minutes is enough." He decided. "And the reason why I requested to see you now is because I have to ask you something."

Zelda raised an eyebrow as her mind wandered. "Please, continue."

Link swallowed his nerves and locked his eyes on hers before taking her dainty hand into his own. "Before I ask though, I have to tell you something." He admitted. "All I ask is that you don't get mad at me."

"Even if I were to get mad, I could never stay mad at you." She informed him. "Now, please tell me."

"Look, I promise that I didn't mean to do this… it sort of just happened. Midna and I were in your room while searching for a makeshift weapon and it was kinda just there-"

"Link, you're rambling."

"Sorry." He muttered. "The thing is that I- I read your diary."

Zelda froze, unsure if she'd heard him correctly. She attempted to speak, but couldn't quite grasp what he'd said. At last, her eyebrows pulled together, creating a v shape in between. "W-what?"

"I read your diary. Not all of it, just a few pages really. Even still, I'm aware that it was wrong, and I'm sorry."

"Yes, I heard you. I just- I don't know what to say."

"Are you mad?" He questioned.

"A little." She admitted. "I don't understand why you would do such a thing."

"It- It was on the floor and it was open, and I saw a glimpse of something and I couldn't help but read the passage."

Zelda hung her head. She felt many things coursing through her, but couldn't seem to settle upon one feeling. It came as a great shock to learn that Link would risk breaching her trust, yet she couldn't bring herself to be angry without knowing the full story.

"Please say something." He begged, his voice laced with guilt and worry.

"W- What did you see?" She asked. "That was so interesting that you would do such a thing." She added.

"I-" He sighed. "I saw your entry from about two weeks ago… Is there something you need to tell me?"

It was then that everything fell into place. She realized exactly what it was that he had seen and she knew that she owed him the truth. She lifted her head and met his eyes once more.

"Oh. That." She half whispered. "Listen, I was going to tell you the night that you came to my room, the night that… that everything happened." She explained. "Obviously, I didn't get that chance and now… you've seen it already." She finished with tears brimming her eyes.

"Zelda, I'm sorry." He apologized. "It was wrong of me to snoop."

"No, I- I understand." She cried.

"But I don't- I don't want to make you cry." He said, his face long as his lips twitched downward.

"I'm not crying because you read it, Link."

"Then, why are you crying?"

"Because I wanted to tell you. I didn't want you to find out via words in a stupid diary."

Link heaved a big sigh of relief, but his expression didn't change as he realized how much this had disappointed her. His eyes were growing heavy, and he knew he could not fight sleep much longer.

"It-" He began breaking off as a yawn escaped him. "It doesn't matter… At least, not to me." He continued. "I'll admit, I was afraid at first… but I'm not now."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Actually, I'm rather excited for our future, now that I've taken care of the threat." He confessed.

Much to his relief, she smiled. Though it quickly faded as she saw his eyes getting heavier. She stood up, ready to leave only for him to tighten his grip on her hand and stop her.

"Please…" He pleaded. "Stay."

"You need to rest." She insisted.

"Then… lay with me?"

Zelda bit back another smile and turned around once more, watching as he shuffled over and patted the empty space he'd just made. She rolled her eyes at her lack of ability to refuse him, and then slipped off her shoes before sitting back down on the bed and laying down, resting her head in the space between his chest and armpit. After getting herself comfortable, she yawned and closed her eyes; also exhausted after everything they'd been through. Without bothering to open them, she leaned up and brushed her lips and against his in a kiss.

"I love you, Link." She whispered as she allowed sleep to take over her.

"I love you too, Princess." He whispered back, his head falling to the side, resting against the top of hers.

Wow. So, this is it. Not the final update of the story as there is still the epilogue to come. This has been one heck of a ride since I started this story over a year ago, and I couldn't have achieved this without you all. With that being said, thank you all so much for reading and for leaving comments and kudos. You all motivated me to see this through.

I also wanted to put a little note in about the beginning of the chapter. Link was not trying to harm himself with the Sword, he was simply curious about what it could do to him. I know that the scene may be a bit controversial, so I wanted to make that clear.

Thank you all for reading.